Moonlight (A or 3.5/4 stars)
'Moonlight' (a coming-of-age drama written/directed by Barry Jenkins) is one of those rare films that - while clearly a superb piece of cinema - did not hit me emotionally until sometime after seeing it. My mind reeled about it in the car. I contemplated it at home. And I'm still affected days later as I write this review. This film deals with what it means to be a bullied black boy/man growing up in poverty with a drug-addled mother, all while discovering one's own sexuality & looking for acceptance. 'Moonlight' is beautiful, quietly profound, brimming with melancholy, & a film I won’t soon forget. It is told in 3 chapters that concern our main character, Chiron. And 3 actors take us on his journey of self-awareness -- each actor will break your heart.
In the 1st chapter, we meet Chiron (Alex Hibbert) - nicknamed "Little" - as a quiet, fatherless 9 yr. old Miami boy raised by his abusive, druggie single mom, Paula (Naomie Harris). Bullied at school, he only has one pal, Kevin. But he’s also befriended by the unlikeliest of people, local drug-dealer Juan (Mahershala Ali), who takes him under his wing as a loving father-figure. Along with his kind girlfriend Teresa (Janelle Monae), Juan gives refuge to the boy when he can't take going home to mom every day. Chiron finds in Juan the seemingly strong, black masculine figure he never had in his life before. In one powerful scene, we see Juan teaching "Little" to swim in the ocean. This film returns time & again to the ocean as the one place where Chiron allows himself to be free. His warm relationship with Juan suffers a setback, though, when he realizes that Juan is the source of his mom's drug habit.
In the 2nd chapter, Chiron has become a lonely, troubled 16 yr. old (Ashton Sanders), tormented more-than-ever at school by a plethora of classmates who correctly guess that he is gay. Though Chiron still flees to Juan's girlfriend Teresa {mom has gotten worse}, among his classmates, only Kevin (now Jharrel Jerome) offers any kind of 'friendship'. One night, while sharing a joint on the beach, a bi-curious side emerges from Kevin & the two friends share a sweet, surprising moment of intimacy. For Chiron, he can't believe that Kevin 'might' feel the same way he does. The gangbanging bullies back at school intervene, however, forcing Kevin to beat-up poor Chiron in a kind of juvenile ritual. Heartbroken & damaged, Chiron explodes in an act of retaliation when he takes vengeance on the head bully; a shattering moment that changes the course of his life.
The 3rd part of the trilogy, finds Chiron (Trevante Rhodes) - now nicknamed "Black" - 10 yrs. older & physically different from his formerly concave, gangly self. Now a beefed-up drug-dealer {emulating Juan} in Atlanta, we see him visit mom Paula in a treatment facility; trying to find understanding & closure with a woman who did nothing to help his adolescence. "Black" may seem like a hardened tough-guy now, but his meek, inner vulnerability is revealed when he gets an unexpected phone call from Kevin (now Andre Holland), who is regretful of his actions from the past and is wearily working as a short-order cook at a Cuban diner. "Black" heads down to Miami, where he & Kevin reunite, and we see the old vulnerable Chiron rekindle in his eyes. Their initial meeting at the diner is awkward, but things turn more poignant later at Kevin's apartment; where the final kitchen scene still haunts me.
In this last segment, watching "Black" - who carries such emotional baggage & longing for intimacy with ANYONE - share such a quiet, but impactful moment with Kevin is a wow. The 'togetherness' that we see in the kitchen scene is the kind of tenderness films rarely achieve. 'Moonlight' manages to be many things at once: intimate, yet epic; a tough coming-of-age film set in a harrowing environment; a tale of a young man trying to find acceptance; a look at the American black male experience; and a story of love & friendship. 'Moonlight' never shies away from the ugliness, but it's never cold. Tears may fall, but it's not emotionally manipulative. And the film strips its characters of cliches. The intimidating drug dealer can also take interest in a lost child. And the muscled-up ex-con can also be a closeted gay man longing for love. It must be said, Barry Jenkins is a pretty magnificent filmmaker.
All 3 sections of Jenkins’ film are so rich, vibrant & real that, I lament each chapter having only lasted 35 min. or so -- not a bad 'complaint' to have. The performances force us to see past our knee-jerk judgments of people. Though they don't quite look like each other, there is continuity btwn. Hibbert, Sanders {SO good}, & Rhodes' body languages; with their bowed heads, darting eyes, & slumped shoulders. In spite of Trevante Rhodes' imposing frame, it's fascinating to see how Chiron (through Rhodes) built this armor around his heart in the 3rd segment, modeling himself after Juan since he was the only father figure he ever had ... yet turns right back into that confused, insecure, lonely little boy when he hears Kevin on the phone. We see just how much he's still under the spell of Kevin. Phew, he just blew me away.
Mahershala Ali delivers a beautifully layered performance as Juan - a tortured man himself who, like Chiron, is another victim of the vicious cycle of black masculinity. I'll never forget the look of shame on his face when he must confirm to "Little" Chiron that he might be contributing to his mom's problems. I missed him after his early exit from the proceedings. Speaking of mom Paula, Naomie Harris is memorable; a troubled, lacerating woman who imbues a conflicted portrait of motherly neglect. Janelle Monae brings a warm, motherly presence as the open-eared, open-hearted Teresa. And Andre Holland is superbly nuanced as the amiable, yet haunted Kevin ... the source of Chiron's most beautiful memory, as well as the darkest event in his past.
'Moonlight' has left me both sad at the near hopelessness of the lives of people like Chiron, but also calmed by the notion that love conquers all. This is a film about longing, fears, hurt, & the desire for acceptance. But the message imparted is a hopeful one amid the misery. I'm also excited by the power of Barry Jenkins' storytelling; the emotions, the sensuality, the repression he gives -- is something to behold. The setting & characters may seem 'hard', but there is a delicacy & a wellspring of feeling bubbling beneath the surface of it all. The plot here may contain human beings & situations that you might never encounter in your day-to-day life, but in the end, it's actually an achingly universal experience.
In the 1st chapter, we meet Chiron (Alex Hibbert) - nicknamed "Little" - as a quiet, fatherless 9 yr. old Miami boy raised by his abusive, druggie single mom, Paula (Naomie Harris). Bullied at school, he only has one pal, Kevin. But he’s also befriended by the unlikeliest of people, local drug-dealer Juan (Mahershala Ali), who takes him under his wing as a loving father-figure. Along with his kind girlfriend Teresa (Janelle Monae), Juan gives refuge to the boy when he can't take going home to mom every day. Chiron finds in Juan the seemingly strong, black masculine figure he never had in his life before. In one powerful scene, we see Juan teaching "Little" to swim in the ocean. This film returns time & again to the ocean as the one place where Chiron allows himself to be free. His warm relationship with Juan suffers a setback, though, when he realizes that Juan is the source of his mom's drug habit.
In the 2nd chapter, Chiron has become a lonely, troubled 16 yr. old (Ashton Sanders), tormented more-than-ever at school by a plethora of classmates who correctly guess that he is gay. Though Chiron still flees to Juan's girlfriend Teresa {mom has gotten worse}, among his classmates, only Kevin (now Jharrel Jerome) offers any kind of 'friendship'. One night, while sharing a joint on the beach, a bi-curious side emerges from Kevin & the two friends share a sweet, surprising moment of intimacy. For Chiron, he can't believe that Kevin 'might' feel the same way he does. The gangbanging bullies back at school intervene, however, forcing Kevin to beat-up poor Chiron in a kind of juvenile ritual. Heartbroken & damaged, Chiron explodes in an act of retaliation when he takes vengeance on the head bully; a shattering moment that changes the course of his life.
The 3rd part of the trilogy, finds Chiron (Trevante Rhodes) - now nicknamed "Black" - 10 yrs. older & physically different from his formerly concave, gangly self. Now a beefed-up drug-dealer {emulating Juan} in Atlanta, we see him visit mom Paula in a treatment facility; trying to find understanding & closure with a woman who did nothing to help his adolescence. "Black" may seem like a hardened tough-guy now, but his meek, inner vulnerability is revealed when he gets an unexpected phone call from Kevin (now Andre Holland), who is regretful of his actions from the past and is wearily working as a short-order cook at a Cuban diner. "Black" heads down to Miami, where he & Kevin reunite, and we see the old vulnerable Chiron rekindle in his eyes. Their initial meeting at the diner is awkward, but things turn more poignant later at Kevin's apartment; where the final kitchen scene still haunts me.
In this last segment, watching "Black" - who carries such emotional baggage & longing for intimacy with ANYONE - share such a quiet, but impactful moment with Kevin is a wow. The 'togetherness' that we see in the kitchen scene is the kind of tenderness films rarely achieve. 'Moonlight' manages to be many things at once: intimate, yet epic; a tough coming-of-age film set in a harrowing environment; a tale of a young man trying to find acceptance; a look at the American black male experience; and a story of love & friendship. 'Moonlight' never shies away from the ugliness, but it's never cold. Tears may fall, but it's not emotionally manipulative. And the film strips its characters of cliches. The intimidating drug dealer can also take interest in a lost child. And the muscled-up ex-con can also be a closeted gay man longing for love. It must be said, Barry Jenkins is a pretty magnificent filmmaker.
All 3 sections of Jenkins’ film are so rich, vibrant & real that, I lament each chapter having only lasted 35 min. or so -- not a bad 'complaint' to have. The performances force us to see past our knee-jerk judgments of people. Though they don't quite look like each other, there is continuity btwn. Hibbert, Sanders {SO good}, & Rhodes' body languages; with their bowed heads, darting eyes, & slumped shoulders. In spite of Trevante Rhodes' imposing frame, it's fascinating to see how Chiron (through Rhodes) built this armor around his heart in the 3rd segment, modeling himself after Juan since he was the only father figure he ever had ... yet turns right back into that confused, insecure, lonely little boy when he hears Kevin on the phone. We see just how much he's still under the spell of Kevin. Phew, he just blew me away.
Mahershala Ali delivers a beautifully layered performance as Juan - a tortured man himself who, like Chiron, is another victim of the vicious cycle of black masculinity. I'll never forget the look of shame on his face when he must confirm to "Little" Chiron that he might be contributing to his mom's problems. I missed him after his early exit from the proceedings. Speaking of mom Paula, Naomie Harris is memorable; a troubled, lacerating woman who imbues a conflicted portrait of motherly neglect. Janelle Monae brings a warm, motherly presence as the open-eared, open-hearted Teresa. And Andre Holland is superbly nuanced as the amiable, yet haunted Kevin ... the source of Chiron's most beautiful memory, as well as the darkest event in his past.
'Moonlight' has left me both sad at the near hopelessness of the lives of people like Chiron, but also calmed by the notion that love conquers all. This is a film about longing, fears, hurt, & the desire for acceptance. But the message imparted is a hopeful one amid the misery. I'm also excited by the power of Barry Jenkins' storytelling; the emotions, the sensuality, the repression he gives -- is something to behold. The setting & characters may seem 'hard', but there is a delicacy & a wellspring of feeling bubbling beneath the surface of it all. The plot here may contain human beings & situations that you might never encounter in your day-to-day life, but in the end, it's actually an achingly universal experience.